Marriage debate must go to the people

A decisive vote against same-sex marriage by federal Parliament in 2012, and strong support for the Coalition’s defence of the current definition of marriage at the federal election on September 7, have failed to deter the ACT Government from pushing ahead with legalisation of same-sex marriage. The ACT currently allows civil unions, but that has not satisfied gay marriage advocates.

Recently former federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland and former Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson have both called for a constitutional referendum to settle the matter.

Mr McClelland said if a State or Territory passed legislation allowing same-sex marriage, the High Court should be required to determine what the founders of our Constitution meant when they included the marriage power in the constitution, but debate on reform should properly be done through a referendum.

Mr Anderson agreed, saying that the issue needed to go to the people with a properly funded, properly articulated yes and no case.